The following shots are all of moving subjects where the photographer has made the choice to set their camera to capture the movement as blur rather than freezing it. This is in all cases by choosing (or letting the camera choose) a ‘slow’ shutter speed (although by slow you’ll see that the speeds (noted under each image) vary from anything from 1/30 second to up to 40 minutes).

This is AWESOME! i want to learn EVERYTHING. haha. well...I have a few decades (hopefully) of life to do that. and the above comment about getting on a merry go round...THAT sounds like fun! Ooh Need to try something like this :0)

Thank you for including my picture, although this is no simple time exposure. This image wouldn't possibly have turned out like this had I just made one big huge time exposure. In that case, the background would be almost white. :-)

This is a time panorama, i.e. I used about 100 individual, optimized exposures to capture the traffic lights, the background (road), and the individual light trails, which I shot in one continuous session during one night (I had to do a couple of test sessions for this before ...). I compiled them together in Photoshop using lots of individual masks. The overall photoshop work time for this image must have been somewhere around 20 hours.

ayaskant mohapatraJune 23, 2011 05:30 pm

these photos are excellent.
But i have some queries.
How can i take a photo of a moving object?
should i move with the motion or will i wait for a right moment to come or wat?
how the first pic and the dog running was taken?
if u will move then camera shake will happen.
pls clarify.

Randall EscaleraMay 21, 2011 09:48 am

Hiya, my group is just establishing our first website, searching and understanding what is needed. This weblog caught out proper away. I’m fired up about this, and adore the design of your site. Can you let me know what “theme” it is?

Esther CollinsMay 15, 2011 05:39 am

These are very excellent photos. I love them. Esther

Rhiannon LawlisMay 13, 2011 01:29 pm

There are some amazing shots on here. Mine doesn't hold a candle, but I will share. This is a picture I took of my mare Georgia one day when she was out romping in the pasture. I was trying to capture power and grace in one shot...

I like ones that include people and reminds a bit of Monet. See example below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cfurini/4400291054/in/set-72157623539543578/

Don PetersonMarch 6, 2010 03:43 pm

Interesting photo, David. Panning definitely gives a feeling of motion. The photo seems a bit flat - m'be because it was taken in direct sunlight. Is this a film photo print that was scanned into a digital file?

David KeenMarch 6, 2010 11:46 am

Being my first day in school, I thought I'd get my feet wet by submitting a B/W photo taken several years ago. I added sepia toning to give it a vintage look. By "panning", I achieved the effect of motion. I'm open for critique. Happy to be aboard! [eimg link='http://www.flickr.com/photos/djunkie/4410012298/' title='speed' url='http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4410012298_c7bebe0955.jpg']

Scott (AKA Bull Rhino)March 6, 2010 03:16 am

These photos are very nice and inspire me to try some new fun things.
I've always loved the flowing water photos and over the the last few months played some with zooming while the lens was open, and had some results I was quite pleased with. But just over the past few weeks I've been playing with motion blur by moving the camera on a still subject and had some results I've really enjoyed. I'm going to try posting one here and see if it works. If it doesn't and you would like to see it you will find it by clicking here.
[eimg url='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JNoEA3SWNMI/S4a6og-KwJI/AAAAAAAABv0/UeNKvMe--v0/MotionBlurLayton01.jpg' title='MotionBlurLayton01.jpg']

Hector Perez-NietoMarch 6, 2010 12:23 am

@Caroline on your Flickr photo, click on the "Share This" button, then on "Grab HTML"

Copy the URL from within it... in this example, the URL would be http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4381427405_16a8d6449c.jpg

Caroline McCoyMarch 6, 2010 12:06 am

Darren - still trying to figure things out....please tell me how I obtain the "actual URL" for my FLICKR photo for this embed process. Also, where do I go to read on your site how photos posted here are copyright protected? This is an incredible newsletter, tutorial, and stimulation.... and I would like to join in on the fun.

Caroline McCoyMarch 6, 2010 12:02 am

Greg - when you put your shutter speed on 15 or 30 or 60, depending upon the speed of the subject and how much blur you want, you adjust your aperture until your meter reads "correct" (or what you want, under exposed, over exposed). If you cannot get your meter bar to that point, lower your ISO. If your ISO is already as low as it can get ND filter, as Darren suggested. If there is still too much light....wait.

Caroline McCoyMarch 5, 2010 11:53 pm

Third request...please help. How do I find the "actual URL" of my FLICKR photo? I really like the embed process here. I have been unsuccessful in uploading anything here. Am brand newmember.

jamieannMarch 5, 2010 11:42 pm

Absolutely great Photography. Gave me something new to explore.
Mr Bones, Besides the good push of the Merry-Go-Round, how about putting the camera on Self timer?

when they say the exposure time,, is it the same thing with the shutter speed??thnx^^

Caroline McCoyMarch 5, 2010 01:32 pm

I submitted a comment and a photo. Don't understand why it all disappeared???

Don PetersonMarch 5, 2010 08:01 am

I've taken long exposures (45 seconds and more) with my digital camera but there is a lot of graininess (noise) in the image. Is there a way to shoot and eliminate the noise?

tony.OMarch 5, 2010 06:47 am

Going east on the 101freeway @75mph + plane flying west out of Burbank @200mph(I assume) + a tree getting in the way + good timing = cool shot!
...click on it to make it a little bigger.
[eimg link='http://www.flickr.com/photos/illmakeyoufamous/4295752167/' title='Jetting' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/4295752167_f5c740e8d7.jpg']

Willy WangsaMarch 5, 2010 04:52 am

I took my CRV's odometer for weekly assignment . After I submitted, I realized I misread the requirement.
[eimg link='http://www.flickr.com/photos/willywangsa/4132867830/' title='Kinetics' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4132867830_bef7c0a9fc.jpg']

Naveen ChenoliMarch 5, 2010 03:00 am

with lens open for 30 seconds

IvannantoMarch 4, 2010 03:43 pm

Cool pic! Gotta take something like this in the future :D

FrameXFrameMarch 4, 2010 11:56 am

The third photo is my favorite. A very soft look that i really enjoy, plus the black and white caught my eye.

IntiMarch 4, 2010 07:05 am

Last weekend I've taken a shot of a dog like this one. [eimg link='http://www.flickr.com/photos/guaracheitor/4393180676/' title='Carrera' url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/4393180676_33521b7d4b.jpg']

Shane RichMarch 4, 2010 02:52 am

Here's a recent attempt of mine from Feb 28th as seen on my 365 day photo project at oncemany.com

If this is a repeat idea, I apologize. When my daughter was about 6 or 7 years old, we went to the park with some of her friends and eventually ended up on the merry-go-round. By my getting on the merry-go-round with her, she and I were both able to remain relatively "still" while the background was moving behind her. This made for some very interesting pictures using a slower shutter speed.

So many of the other motion blur shots require panning with the subject which leads to a "hit or miss" result.With the merry-go-round moving but the two of us still relative to each other, it worked out very well.

dlm

Hector Perez-NietoMarch 3, 2010 09:34 pm

I used long exposures to achieve some blur in these 3 photos:

http://blog.tremblestudio.com/blur

1. Chicago Magnificent Mile: f22 for full depth of field, 1/4 shutter speed. I wanted the bus to be blurry yet distinguishable, hence not such a long exposure. Had to wait probably 10 mins between shots for the next bus and the ight was changing fast!

2. Light streaks: This one in fact is a composition of several photos. Each shot had one or two cars, I layered them (Blending Mode: Lighten) to get these many on just one frame. f22 @ 5 seconds

3. Last one, while walking behind my wife. Camera at chest level, no looking through the viewfinder just shooting constantly. The blur has a nice effect since the window looks frozen at the center then blurs on the Z axis. f14 @ 1/5 (compensated +1.3 stops, the sun was right in front and the normal reading threw everything into shadows)

I was just working on this recently! Very excited to learn more! I love these effects!

The picture I linked to below is by far one of my favorite photos. It was taken by a high school student in Duluth, MN. He used a 45 minute exposure and did light painting using a spotlight. The picture can be seen here:

Thank you so much for the info and samples on timed exposures, I have been sampling around with these a little lately. I live on a small ranch in Arizona way out of the city and I am enjoying taking these types of photos using them on skyscapes at night and time exposed shots of far away towns. It lets the light get into the lense and allows detail not seen anyother way in dark lighting.

ToryOctober 27, 2009 09:55 pm

beautiful!
i love every single one of them!

PhatCamperOctober 23, 2009 02:14 am

I have found that 1/15 works well when panning cyclists in motion in relatively normal outside lighting. I don't know if this also makes sense: I am right handed, and it looks like panning from right to left works better for me. Here are some of my pans (some of them have textures applied to enhance the blur):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phatcamper/3868275031/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phatcamper/3855882179/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phatcamper/3681660819/[img]http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=4034373689[/img]

TarekOctober 2, 2009 07:13 pm

I wish there was some description on how to take these shots, cse they are amazing!!!!

JAWADAugust 22, 2009 05:04 am

DAMN I HAVE TRIED THIS THING and I AM REALLY SURPRISED..........................................YOU KNOW I HAVE NEVER THOGHT OF THAT BUT NOW I HAVE A WHOLE COLLECTION OF THESE TYPE OF IMAGES ....I AM USING A350 SONY....14.2 MEGAPIXEL.............AND ITS GREAT..........

smasshhJuly 23, 2009 11:33 am

the pictures are great.

SteveJune 6, 2009 12:13 am

Love this site. Great pictures. I am in the market for a new Canon Portrait lens. Anyone have good suggestions?

tanJune 5, 2009 08:15 pm

hey darren excellent one !!!!!!!
the magic is due to servoAF (
auto Focus) , isn't it ?

Gbenga Loveeyes ImagesMay 21, 2009 06:11 pm

This images are really stunning. But pls try and analyze it one after the other.

Darren RowseMarch 26, 2009 10:38 am

Mark - as I said in my email to you I've removed the image and apologize. I don't know how it happened as we work hard to keep images used on this site CC licensed. The process we use to get images from Flickr stops us from using all rights reserved images - so I'm confused how this happened.

Any chance you changed your licence sine this was originally published in 2007? That's the only explanation I can think of.

MarkFebruary 18, 2009 09:54 pm

I'm glad to find that some people appreciate my photography (markal shot on this page). However, I believe it is customary to ask for permission before using a photograph that has clearly set "All Rights Reserved" in the permissions on the Flickr page. And I see I am not the only one to have a photograph used without being asked first.

LizaFebruary 15, 2009 05:46 pm

I find it completely unnecessary to choose a favorite. These images are all exquisite in different ways.

You don't have to use a fancy camera to achieve this effect. When I was in third grade (in the 1960s) I took a snapshot of my friends while we were on a spinning structure on a playground, which turned out very similar to the teddy bear shot by Mr Bones. I was using a "brownie" type camera - fixed shutter speed, fixed aperture. The key is that I was moving at the same speed as my friends, because I was sitting in the middle of the spinning structure (whatever it's called). So, in relation to my camera, my friends were perfectly still, while the background spun around us.

dekorasyonFebruary 14, 2009 03:27 am

i like the pictures and also the site.

JDJanuary 23, 2009 04:34 am

Love this site, you are doing a great job.

Thanks,
JD

CahyoJanuary 19, 2009 03:22 pm

wow, cool!! amazing!!

granitDecember 14, 2008 06:28 am

it is impossible to dislike theese photos.

ArjenNovember 23, 2008 06:05 am

Impressive images! Thanks for sharing!

TerryNovember 19, 2008 07:29 am

I love these shots. I've recently started to get into photography a lot more and found a love for long exposures.

Here's one I took a few weeks back. The settings are underneath the pic. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22613062@N04/3024281208/

Mr DinNovember 18, 2008 03:26 am

great selection of motion capture!!! I love them real and not photoshoped, just missing one spinning kid!!! :D ouch, reminds me how it hurts!! :D

KTNovember 15, 2008 10:45 pm

Wow, there are so many talented photographers out there it is amazing.

DaveNovember 15, 2008 03:02 am

A couple of the posts implied that using Photoshop to achieve the effect would be "cheating" and I guess I can understand that sentiment. But as better cheater than a photographer, I'd be interested in knowing what filter can be used in PS or Photoshop elements to achieve the same effect (I don't think the "blur filter" will create the sense of motion that I am looking for.

DarrenNovember 14, 2008 08:16 pm

Jon - I've emailed you. Very sorry about this - I'm a bit confused as to why we used your image when we originally posted this post a year back - but we'll get to the bottom of it.

srkalvalaNovember 14, 2008 06:20 pm

long exposure photography is really very interest,the photographs which are amazing to me.definitely i will try to shoot some of moving object.
thanks for sending this article, to me it is a opportunity to think and try
regards
srkalvala

jonNovember 14, 2008 11:02 am

whoever this is didn't get permission from myself, that's for sure.

thanks for the feature, but i'd appreciate if you would at least *ask* before using my photographs.

j.

Dinuraj KNovember 14, 2008 08:30 am

The pics are really amazing.. I never thought such beautiful landscape shots (the once with moving clouds) can be taken with long exposure. I need to try it

when i have a dslr i will want to take pix like all of these!!!! yeah!!

KarenNovember 14, 2008 01:22 am

Oh, I really enjoyed those even though I got a little motion sick. ;)

uberbabyboomerNovember 14, 2008 01:14 am

WisDoc's is amazing - while other shots are more stunningly beautiful, technically, his capture of a running dog is incredible. First, he had to have a dog running flat out fast, then get the right camera angle, setting etc. so he gets my vote for the best.

AndrewNovember 14, 2008 12:19 am

Wowee that tree is exquisite. Those images really inspire me.

The Floating frogNovember 14, 2008 12:17 am

Achieving movement is pretty easy at night as you can capture the available light. The the day time it's slightly trickier as you can very easily overexpose the shot. A Neutral Density Filter is a great addition to any camera bag kit as you can achieve longer exposure times and still achieve a correct exposure. I'm yet to buy one but it's on my Amazon Wishlist ;)

Pete LangloisNovember 14, 2008 12:11 am

These are all great examples but I really like waterfall shots.

Here are some I captured this summer.

http://www.petelanglois.net/waterfalls

Pete

sebastiaenNovember 13, 2008 11:35 pm

You could have added some shots with explo-zoom technique, otherwise it was complete and interesting! :)

Seb

Rocket9November 13, 2008 11:28 pm

Great pictures, seeing these and all the comments on the carnival ride, makes me think folks like my shot at this, available on: http://rocket9.net/page2.htm

Halfway down the page is my panoramic picture of the MD State Fair, at night in the rain. Pano is available at 4900x600 pixels or 9800x1200. Besides the ride blur, plenty of moving people blur. All shot hand-held (though a tripod really woulda made it all easier).

Steven EratNovember 13, 2008 11:10 pm

Can you elaborate on how you obtained permission for usage of these photos from Flickr?

Many of them, including those from Mr.Bones, Mace2000, WisDoc, and Sara Heinrichs, have the Flickr permission settings to "All Rights Reserved", which means that you may not republish the images without explicit permission from the copyright holder.

Its commonly thought that images on Flickr, on anywhere on the web for that matter, are free for the taking for any purpose.

I'm sensitive to this issue because my images have been stolen many times, so I always watermark them now. Three of my images, in fact, were used without my permission for a commercial restaurant, including their masthead image, and I'm currently preparing an invoice to send them based on research I've done on stock image sites like Getty.

Jamie DolittleNovember 13, 2008 10:36 pm

Wow dude you got to admit that is pretty cool stuff.

jess
http://web-anonymity.vze.com

AliciaNovember 13, 2008 05:54 pm

I actually managed to do one similar to the second one shown (the car) - totally by accident, naturally, haha.

SteveNovember 10, 2008 05:03 am

Very nice collection and stunning work with the camera and colors....let alone the images in this fashion!

Nepal sitesOctober 13, 2008 03:19 pm

Fantastic ! especially the circus wheel seems incredible.

charlene.September 19, 2008 12:28 am

It's probably been explained, I just haven't read all the comments.

But the photos with slow shutter speeds aren't overexposed because of the aperture, also known as the fstop. There is a balance of both of them to get a stunning image.

Philippe RoyJune 25, 2008 01:45 pm

Really nice selection of images... but for me, personally it's Markal's shot that steals the show (Japan street setting / last photo). Very nice movement blur and something I haven't seen before... the other photos are all very nice, just that it's been done a re-done a million times over.

StewJune 5, 2008 12:55 am

Great photos and an excellent selection to help get the creative juices flowing.

Thanks

Mads NÃ¸rgaardMarch 12, 2008 01:48 am

I don't think they are photoshoped as you can make those effect by using a slow shutter speed! I don't know how this image has been done though: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/blur-movement/

???

RossMarch 11, 2008 09:07 pm

The one of the dog and the bottom one look suspiciously photoshoped. Maybe someone can set me straight.

Mads NÃ¸rgaardMarch 7, 2008 10:14 pm

These pictures are great! when you say "composition of 3 images..." do you then mean that 3 images were put together to form one image?

I have also done some work with slow shutter speeds and panning: www.madsnorgaard.net

MadsMarch 7, 2008 10:04 pm

Those pictures are great, and at the moment I have a project with slow shutter speeds. I love the effect the water get when you use the slow shutter speeds! amazing...
when you say composition of 3 images, do you then mean that 3 images were put together into one?

The mind's eye is a pretty amazing feature of the human spirit. These photos are all poetry the way the blur highlights each subject.

SteveJanuary 12, 2008 07:22 am

Great work with the images. Love the creativity.

richdiesalJanuary 7, 2008 07:54 am

Just remember, at the most basic level, everything in photography is a balance of just 3 factors:
1) film speed (how quickly the film records the image from light - also affects detail level/saturation - fast film (ISO 1000) absorbs light more quickly than slow film (ISO 100))
2) shutter speed (how long an opening between the subject and the film is made - smaller value = faster shutter = less light)
3) aperture (the size of the opening between the subject and the film - smaller value = small hole between subject and film = higher f-stop = less light = greater focal range - imagine the camera is squinting)

So if you wanted to have a slow shutter speed (more light), you could balance it out by using slower film (light affects it more slowly) and/or small aperture/high f-stop (less light).

Similarly, when you want to have a very fast shutter speed to catch very quick action (less light), you have to balance it out using fast film (light affects it more quickly) and/or large aperture/low f-stop (more light).

Give up your cheap point-and-shoot digital camera and get an SLR, digital or analog. And learn to interpret your light meter!

aqua108December 3, 2007 10:21 pm

hay.. i just want to say all of the 15 shot are amazing i have never tried enything like this before BUT.....i have 2 start because it is part of my next project (shutter speed and apature)it looked soooooo funnnn!!!! i have been inspired by your shot and hopefully u guys wont mind me using it for research..^________^thank u...............*_^

Could be panning but it doesnt look like it and if it is its a little blurry and badly controlled

BrianSeptember 3, 2007 12:35 am

Hi pyko, the shot by Amnemona was probably done in a car or any moving thing and a slow shutter speed the reason the do was not completely in focus is probably the wind blowing his hair but if it was a car with no windows open the dog would have been in perfect focus.......although the picture would be less dynamic.

I think my fave of the lot is the Photo by thorinside its beautiful

pykoAugust 31, 2007 05:09 pm

wow..those are amazing shots! especially the one by Amnemona - how would you get such a shot? i'm quite new to photography...but it seems like that one will need a slightly diff technique to the other photos??

also, is it possible to 'set up' for shots like this using simple point and shoot cameras? the only settings i can find on my camera (Nikon Coolpix 4100) is exposure (ranging -2.0 ~ +2.0)...the only time I managed to get a moving shot was when i was on a merry-go-round, though that was a lucky shot!

DarrenAugust 30, 2007 10:39 am

thanks pinguy - I saw it last night too and emailed them to get them to remove it. Seems it worked.

Wow thatÂ´s a great shot Shaun hod did you pull that off? How could you freeze the driver while all the lights outside the car were moving?

ShaunAugust 26, 2007 07:20 am

check out this for a car shot

http://mssv.deviantart.com/art/Its-not-a-race-its-a-journey-39406025

DaveAugust 26, 2007 01:43 am

I'm with Greg (a newbie also). Mace2000 had a 43 sec exposure...why is that not totally over exposed?

RicardoAugust 24, 2007 02:53 pm

WOW what great pictures, it's the kind of pictures that really take me somewhere else, I really hope I can get shots like the ones here!

Mace2000August 22, 2007 06:25 am

Thanks for showing my pictures here! :-)

FX57August 22, 2007 06:14 am

Congrats!
Very nice photos and great ideas to try.

BiswaAugust 21, 2007 11:42 pm

I loved the Dog's photo. Excellent Panning. I am an amateur but think thats the toughest technically among the all.
Great shots, loved this post

BroderickAugust 21, 2007 11:20 pm

Excellent shots, thanks MrBones for the explanation :)

Axel (MrBones)August 21, 2007 08:17 pm

Thanks for showcasing my image (teddy bear) here! I was wondering where all the recent hits came from. Since Photoshop ate the EXIF data and some expressed interest in the technical process/settings I'll try to answer here.
This was taken early evening in a fairly shaded area.
27mm effective focal length
f22
0.5 sec exposure
polarizing filter (reduces the light another stop or so; don't have an ND filter)
Set up the camera on the opposite seat, focus, self timer and a good push of the merry-go-round. Off they go. Repeat till you get something you like. Just secure your camera in some way so it doesn't fly off of the seat.

RoohshadAugust 21, 2007 04:41 pm

Hey Greg,

Im quite a newbie too but this is what i do when i want to slow down the shutter in a bright environment, just increase the aperture.

WisDoc and Ben McLeod's pictures are awesome!
Ben for managing to hold his camera that still in a car and Wisdoc for moving his camera fast enough to get an *almost* sharp image.

Kudos guys.

DarrenAugust 21, 2007 11:59 am

You're right Bec - but it's still 'slow' as relative to the speed of the movement in the shot - thus creating the feeling of movement via blur....

BecAugust 21, 2007 10:12 am

The top image looks more like a pan - not necessarily a shot with a very slow shutter speed?

NadineAugust 21, 2007 09:35 am

Great post! It's really inspiring to see such a wide range of photos showcasing a particular technique - I'm going to try for a wind-blown-clouds shot.

DarrenAugust 21, 2007 07:28 am

Greg - good question and one I'll cover in the next 'how to' tutorial on this very topic.

But one of the things that some of them use is a filter called an ND (neutral density) filter which is like putting sunglasses on your camera (so less light gets in).

thatedeguyAugust 21, 2007 06:17 am

I would have never thought to use the "slow" shutter speed to achieve some of the effects that they do. Now I've really got to get that darn tripod so I can test some of that out.

CarolAugust 21, 2007 04:49 am

OK, I'm giving up photography right now - I'll never be able to do anything like that! Joking aside, what an absolutely stunning collection of photos.

Ramen JunkieAugust 21, 2007 03:55 am

I've found a good easy and fun way to get motion shots is to stand in the middle of a moving merry go round and take someone/something's photo that is also on the merry go round. You get a goos still shot int he middle with a moving background. I suspect the first shot uses this method or something similar.

GregAugust 21, 2007 03:28 am

Okay, so this is probably a dumb question, but I'm a serious newby, so give me a break. When using slow shutter speeds during the day, how is that these photographs aren't extremely over-exposed? When you adjust the shutter speed to this amount, what else do you change to properly expose your photo?